


Relative Dimensions

by digitalFlush



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen, Multiple Doctors (Doctor Who), Series Spoilers, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-19
Updated: 2013-06-11
Packaged: 2017-12-12 07:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/808967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitalFlush/pseuds/digitalFlush
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new face appears in the TARDIS, but who is she, and how does she know so much about a man she's never met?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

When I said I wanted excitement, when I said I wanted adventure, I never in a million years meant this. And yet, I wouldn't change it, not one second.  
\--------------------------------------------------

The ninth Doctor smiled to himself as Rose leaned on the TARDIS railing. After a busy day of fighting Autons and their living plastic leader she still seemed full of energy.

"Right then, where to?" He asked his new companion. "We could visit the future, the past, anywhere! You decide!"

Rose frowned in thought as her stomach growled for food. "I could do with some chips." She requested.

The Doctor sighed. "Really? That's what you want? Out of all of space and time you- fine." He gestured to the doors. "But make it quick. I haven't got all day!" Rose grinned and rushed out, the Doctor watching her leave and beamed. He liked this one already.

The Doctor's smile faltered as a bright blue flash came from behind the TARDIS console. He spun around quickly to face a young girl. She was tall, lean, and blond, looking to be about 17 and severely confused. The Doctor stepped towards her cautiously.

"Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?" He demanded quickly, eyes scanning the intruder's naked arms for a non-existent Vortex Manipulator.

Instead of answering, the girl's eyes widened and she backed away from him.

Recognizing her fear, the Doctor found his advantage. "Answer me!" He yelled with little anger in his voice.

The girl shook her head and repeated over and over "not possible, not possible!" She pressed her back against the metal rails and kept her eyes on the Doctor, as if when she looked away he would disappear.

"I'm not going to ask again." He warned. "Who are you?"

The intruder swallowed and closed her eyes. "Janice. Janice Richards." And in a flash, she disappeared once more. The Doctor stood back, stunned. Rose came back in with a plate of chips. "Did I miss much?" She asked. The Doctor turned around and forced a smile. "Nope. Just planning on where to go first!"

\--------------------------------------------------  
Bzzt! bzzt!

An angry alarm woke an all too sleepy Janice for another monday at school.

The hallways were crowded as teens darted from class to class, sometimes daring to conjest the hallways further with their bulk to stop and chat with friends. Janice scurried along, towering over most of her class mates at 5' 10". As if dueto her height, she always seemed to have her head in the clouds. Today she dwelt on the odd dream of last night. Also, the strange fact that she had started her nap on the  
couch and woken up in her bed nearly 12 hours later. Where had the time gone between the couch and her bed?

The school day passed in the same monotonous routine that usually took  
place and one again Janice found herself exhausted from the day. She laid down and closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly.

A strange engine sound hummed above Janice as she became aware of cold  
metal beneath her. She sat up and examined her surroundings.

The room was large and warm despite the industrial fixtures. Bronze,  
coral-like structures roose from the floor below the raised and  
greated flooring which Janice now sat on. Behind her stood a pillar surrounded by a hexagonally shaped console.  
Janice slapped herself hard, leaving a red mark on her face as she tried to wake herself up, but it didn't work. There was no doubt in her mind now: she was in the TARDIS.


	2. Aquainted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers!

Janice rubbed her cheek, stinging from where she slapped herself. from where she stood, she couldn't see the man in the blue suite walk up to the console, just as he couldn't see the intruder.

The 10th incarnation of the Doctor was slightly preoccupied with his own thoughts as he leaned on the console. He severely wished he could have Donna back to boss him around like she always did. He let out a loud sigh.

Just then the Doctor heard her, the girl who was now gently stroking the console and muttering the words "Whoa, how cool..." His brow furrowed as he peaked around the middle of the console. "What???" he cried in confusion. Janice jumped and looked up, somehow surprised to see him. Again 10 spoke, having slightly compossed himself.

"Who are you? And how'd you get in my TARDIS?" he demanded seriously. Janice was remined of her dream from the night before, with the 9th Doctor wondering the same thing, and began to wonder if she believed in coincidences.

"...Hang on." The Doctor scrutinized Janice. "I know you from somewhere..." he stared at her thoughtfully before snapping his fingers in excitement. "You're that girl who popped in my ship!" he smiled, yet still seemed grave. "So, miss...?"

"Janice." she finished for him.

"Right, Janice. How do you keep popping into my ship and why?" He began to pace around her and the console slowly.

Janice frowned, deciding quickly that coincidences didn't exist, she had definitely been in the TARDIS before. "Not sure, Doctor." she sighed. "Last thing I remember is falling asleep." she paused and stared at The Doctor. "Are you real? I mean, this could be an intense dream right now..."

The Doctor looked befuddled and shocked at this idea. "Real?? Of course I'm real! I could ask you the same, actually. Are you a hologram? Some sort of bizarre, mental projection?" he scanned her with his sonic screwdriver, studying the results.

Janice watched as the Doctor's frown had straightened into a worried line. "You're from another universe, aren't you?" he looked his subject up and down.

She thought for a moment. That seemed...possible. It finally sunk in what exactly was going on, and Janice sat down on the floor, shock and fear in her eyes. "But, how did I-?"

The Doctor realized she had no idea what she'd done let alone how. His pace quickened, only stopping to look at the girl. "Janice...how did you know my name?"

After a very awkward silence Janice opened her mouth to answer only to disappear in a flash of blue light. Ten rubbed his face in frustration and leaned on the console again, arms straight. How was she doing that???

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janice sat in front of her dinner plate, shaking off the dream she had just had. Had she really met an impossible man, or was she watching too much Who? All she knew for certain was that she needed someone to talk to.

Putting her empty dinner plate aside she went out to her next door neighbor's house.


	3. Friendships

Janice's next door neighbor answered the door after the first knock, smiling warmly. "Hi Kali." Janice waved awkwardly. Kali grinned widely. "Janice! I was wondering when you'd accept my invitation to come over!" Kali opened the door wider and lead the way inside. Her house was huge, but it had looked so mild mannered from the front. Kali poured her guest some tea and offered her a seat.

Janice suddenly felt very comfortable in this strange environment. She sat and sipped her tea. "Sorry to just pop in like this." Janice apologized. "But I had a question. Friend to friend."

Kali nodded. "Of course! What is it?"

Janice sighed at the absurdity of her own question. "Well, what do you know about dreams?"

Kali stopped mid sip and gently set down her tea cup. "That's rather vague. Care to be more specific?"

Janice sucked in a deep breath. "Like, is it possible to traverse different universes in dreams?"

Kali bit the inside of her cheek. "I suppose so, yes. Why would you ask me though? My hobby is psychics, not physics."

Janice frowned. "That's precisely why I came here. I..." She hated herself for stooping this low, "I thought you could look at my...aura." she flinched at the word 'aura'. Why was she doing this? Janice Richards was a woman of science! Not psychics and mysticism.

Kali nodded, her long ginger hair falling over her shoulders as she grinned. "Of course!"

Kali's eyes closed and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. When her eyes were revealed once more they had turned from green to grey. Janice sucked in a breath. How was Kali doing that?

"Oh my..." Kali breathed. "I've never seen an aura do that..."

Janice frowned. "Do what, exactly?"

Kali blinked, her eyes normal once more, but extremely worried. "Fizzle out."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tenth Doctor still marched the floor of the TARDIS console room and waited for the scanner to finish. He had found a small strand of blond hair on his floor, not long after the mysterious Janice had left. Now was a waiting game to see what the scanner learned from it. A decisive beep came from the console. As he checked the results, his face fell: the hair didn't exist.


	4. Underground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse typos! I'm writing on a kindle mostly. :P

Janice sat on her couch, trying to make sense of everything. Doctor Who played on Netflix, as it did every time she was stressed. Normally it calmed her and made her smile with all the shenanigans, but this time was different. Watching the show felt all too real after those dreams. And what had Kali meant that Janice's 'aura' had fizzled? It was a bit weird to take in.

Janice thought for a moment. Perhaps all the space jumps were more than just dreams? She had read a theory once, about dreams being pathways to alternate universes. Maybe it was true?

After much consideration, Janice decided her hypothesis needed testing. She set her DVR to record the re-run episode of Doctor Who coming on later that night and shut her eyes.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janice sat up from the metal grates, mentaly laughing at how similar her situation was to Alice falling down the rabbit hole. She noticed a man in torn clothing, trying desperately to steer the TARDIS. He noticed her when he tripped over her legs.

He popped back up, still fine tuning his motor skills and smiled awkwardly. "Janice!" the Doctor said in his new voice. He made a surprised face and repeated her name at different pitches, laughing as he did so. "New voice!" he bragged.

Janice was still surprised that her theory had worked out so far. Finding words was difficult around this man. Finally they landed and he rushed out, saying something about a little girl and five minutes. Janice stood and sighed, realizing he was going to meet Amy.

The room shook as doors were shut. Janice found herself tumbling into the nearby wall and wishing she had been knocked unconscious by it. Pain throbbed in her skull as she sat up. The Doctor was before her again, younger, and in his 9th regeneration. He glanced at her and glared slightly. She felt so small in his presence, but stood boldly ignoring her headache. "Doctor." she nodded in his direction. Rose entered the ship from outside and stopped mid-sentence. She seemed put off by Janice's ubiety. "Doctor?" Rose asked.

The Doctor motioned for Rose not to take a step. "Well, if it isn't the hitch-hiker." he commented. Janice bit her lip and nodded. "Name's Janice." The Doctor did not seem impressed. Calmly, Janice walked toward the TARDIS doors and attempted to make her exit. Unfortunately she had forgotten to calculate that the ship also traveled in space, the very place they were now.

She slammed the doors shut once more and slowly turned to look the unhappy Doctor up and down. He seemed to be burning, slowly sparking into a flame. "One more time. I'm going to ask one more time before I kick you out. Who are you and how did you get on my ship?!?" He was yelling and scared Janice to the bone. "I-I don't-" she stammered.

The angry ninth incarnation advanced. "Don't give me that! You know who I am, I can see it in your face. Are you from my future??!" Janice was frozen. How could she explain the unknown to this man if he wouldn't accept it as unknown? "I DON'T KNOW!" She finally yelled just as Rose grabbed the Doctor's arm and pulled him back from the terrified girl.

 

Janice slammed her eyes shut and opened them to find herself back on the familiar couch, the end credits to Doctor Who rolling by. Panic subsiding, she took a deep breath and rewound the episode. It was one of the tenth Doctor's episodes. But what was that? She skipped back and paused. There, off in the corner was a flash of blue light and a sliver of blond. Janice's face paled as the realization sunk in: it was real and she had been right.


	5. Sinking

For the next months school was a daze and food hardly interesting. Janice was still trying to figure how any of this was possible, much less how to control it. She grew distant from friends and her family hardly saw her. Most of her free time was spent researching all the possibilities of travel to other universes or dimensions.

Years passed and Janice grew older, almost forgetting what she had experienced and passing all of it off as a crazy set of dreams. Graduating High School, the now 19 year old woman went off to University with the idea to earn her degree in Physics and putting little thought to her dreams of two years past. A new life was quickly established in the dorm she now called home as well as several brilliant friends. First semester passed as well as a new season of a show she hadn't watched since her fever dreams: Doctor Who. Janice had seen therapists and been diagnosed as having mild hallucinations with a sedative to help ease sleep. Some nights though, she lay in bed missing the visions of childhood. But tonight was no time to dwell on such things. Tomorrow began Spring Break and a well deserved week of self-indulgence. Per the usual routine, Janice took her sedative pill and went to sleep in her twin-sized dorm bed.

 

She awoke to a familiar hum she couldn't quite place, pulling the covers around herself to drown out the world and regain the sleep she had been within. But sleep would not come. She lay there, eyes squinted shut as she tried to place the hum and why the bed felt so unfamiliar. Eyes shooting open, Janice sat up, head wiping around the star-painted room that was not her own and the bed just a bit too large to be her dorm's twin mattress.

 

Janice reminded herself that she had just gone to sleep and the medicine probably hadn't kicked in quite yet. The dream was a nice change for the usually dreamless Richards girl, who decided to explore. She got up from the bed that was not her own and began to wander around what felt like a distant memory.

Outside the door, a vast expanse of hallways, of twists and turns, lay before her. Despite overwhelming options, Janice felt she knew where to go and, following her gut, she found herself in a console room.

Janice stood there in awe, realizing this wasn't exactly familiar anymore. The layout was changed to a cold silver and blue, books lined the walls from floor to ceiling, and a new face looked at her from an old man.

"Well, look who's finally awake. Or, should I say not awake, since according to everything here," he gestured to scanners and monitors around the console, "You don't exist. So tell me, non-girl, why do you keep popping up?"

Janice was in shock. In front of her stood a very Scottish old man in a black coat. This was clearly the Doctor of her favorite show from back in high school, but he had changed.

"I'm so confused..." she confessed, holding her head and leaning against the rails behind her. "It's been years, I took medicines, I saw Doctors and yet...you're here again." She laughed, leaving the man confused.

"Im definitely here. Look, I can even show you read outs. You, on the other hand, seem to be some kind of negative space." He was almost ignoring her speech. "You're definitely being registered by all my senses, you interact with the world, but you're not really here are you? Still tethered to some forgotten universe? Have you come here to invade?"

Janice watched him, exhausted bags under her eyes. Suddenly laughter erupted from her lips, "oh oh, I am GOOD!" She laughed, "all of this? My brain made all of THIS up? My God I should have been a writer, not a physicist!"

12 looked at her in surprise, slowly making his way closer to her from across the console. "Alright! Good job brain! Put me back in my own brain so I can sleep- Ow!"

The Doctor had pricked her, just enough to draw blood. He ran it over to another machine muttering half apologies that he didn't mean but Janice couldn't hear him. She was in _pain. She bled._ __That shouldn't be possible in a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting so long!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so the intro sucks. I would like to thank all my partners in crime who helped develop the intricate story through countless role-plays! Especially Shirley and Caroline for putting up with my main-character hogging.


End file.
